• Get Ready for the 2008 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Meeting
• HRSA/HAB Housing Policy Revised and Effective March 27, 2008
• New Look for TARGET Center Website
• Submit Photos for 2008 Ryan White Grantee Meeting: New Deadline, April 30
• 2008 Updated Compendium of State HIV Testing Laws
• Quality Training of Trainers Program: May 7-9, New York

OTHER NEWS

• SAMHSA Funds for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment: Deadline, April 30
• AIDS.Gov Gets New Look
• CDC Website on HIV and Older Americans
• Updated Pediatric Treatment Guidelines
• State Profiles on HIV, Hepatitis, STDs, and TB

HRSA/HAB NEWS

Get Ready for the 2008 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Meeting
The 2008 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Meeting website is now live. You can now register, submit workshop and poster abstracts, and reserve hotel rooms.

The meeting will be held August 25-28, 2008 in Washington, DC and is being co-sponsored by HRSA/HAB and the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM). Once again, two meetings will occur simultaneously: 1) the Grantee Meeting; and 2) the 11th Annual Clinical Update. The Clinical Update is sponsored by the International AIDS Society-USA (IAS-USA). The meeting theme, "New Era, New Act," reflects a focus on implementing the 2006 Ryan White legislation as well as ongoing efforts to seek ever better ways to deliver HIV care to the underserved. We make a difference for over half a million people each year and owe much of our success to our creativity and adaptability to change.

The conference website provides all the information you need to get ready for the meeting, such as: key deadline dates; instructions for registering and submitting abstracts for workshops and poster sessions; and reserving hotel rooms.

Access the site

HRSA/HAB Housing Policy Revised and Effective March 27, 2008
HRSA/HAB has revised the housing policy guidance describing the use of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds for housing referral services and short-term or emergency housing needs. This policy was originally published in 1997 as Policy Notice 97-02, “Emergency Assistance for Eligible Individuals and then replaced by Policy Notice 99-02, The Use of Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act funds for Housing Referral Services and Short-term or Emergency Housing Needs.” The amendment of Policy Notice 99-02 is newly titled Policy Notice 08-01, “The Use of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
Funds for Housing Referral Services and Short-term or Emergency Housing Needs.”

The notice in the February 26, 2008 issue of the Federal Register made public the final policy notice, which places a cumulative period of 24 months on short-term and emergency housing assistance under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and clarifies and updates certain nomenclature found in the original housing policy 99–02. Fifteen months ago, HRSA proposed a revised Housing Policy which was published in the Federal Register in December 2006 and followed by a 60-day comment period, ending February 5, 2007. HRSA received over 200 comments from the public. HRSA postponed the effective date of the policy to take into consideration all comments and concerns.

The policy was written to provide grantees with guidance on the use of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds for housing referral services and short-term or emergency housing needs and to assist financially and support temporary and/or transitional housing. Three main areas of concern that were raised and addressed in the public comments were: 1) allowing sufficient time to implement the policy; 2) the grandfathering of clients currently receiving housing service; and 3) the 24-month timeframe being seen as too restrictive. HRSA/HAB allowed 1 year for comment and review of the policy and its responses to comments included: 1) addressing the waiting period; 2) the determination that the 24-month period is not retroactive; and 3) the determination that the time limit remain a 24-month period per household to comply with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and better define short-term and emergency housing.

This policy becomes effective March 27, 2008.

New Look for TARGET Center Website
Some enhancements in technical assistance (TA) information and a new visual approach are among the changes on the redesigned TARGET Center, website the central source of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program TA. The key change is a new design that allows for brief articles that give up-to-the-moment updates on what's going on in the Ryan White Community, like release of HAB's new performance measures or the latest on training sessions sponsored by HRSA/HAB. Other changes include:

Easier access to grantee websites via sorted listings, by Part.

New grantee contact information including phone numbers, e-mails, and addresses, via easy-to-access links to HRSA's Grantee

Find database.

New FAQs on the HelpDesk page.

Ever-evolving multimedia features, such as the Medicare Part D audio tutorial.

You can visit the redesigned homepage at:

Submit Photos for 2008 Ryan White Grantee Meeting: New Deadline, April 30
Your program can star at the Grantee Meeting! Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees are being asked to send photos (and videos) to HRSA/HAB for use in preparing audio-visual displays for the 2008 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Training and Technical Assistance Meeting and Clinical Update. Submitted items may be used in plenary session graphics and the program book.

Photos must be in digital format (typically, JPEG). Larger file sizes are preferred, ideally no smaller than 1 MB. Visuals might feature, for example, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantee staff at work, client interactions, and neighborhoods/cityscapes. If photos include people, a signed “permission to use” form of the subjects must be on file, particularly for client photos. HRSA/HAB can provide a sample form for those programs needing one.

Submit photos by downloading them to the TARGET Center at:

Photos can also be sent via email to < agambrell@hrsa.gov > or regular mail to Alan Gambrell, HRSA/HAB, 5600 Fishers Lane, 7-29, Rockville, MD 20857. Call 301-443-0527 with questions or comments.
HRSA/HAB is also open to getting short digital video segments and may even be able to use very short segments, from 5 to 20 seconds. Videos should be sent via regular mail at the above address.

For additional guidance on submitting photos and visuals:

2008 Updated Compendium of State HIV Testing Laws
The National HIV/AIDS Clinicians’ Consultation Center (NCCC), a component of the AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) program, has released its revised and updated 2008 online State HIV Testing Laws Compendium. The Compendium describes each State’s laws and policies on HIV testing in clinical settings. Since the release of the CDC’s “Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing in Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health Care Settings” in September 2006, many states have updated their HIV testing laws. Understanding individual State laws can be essential when providing testing and counseling services to patients and in implementing routine HIV testing programs. In addition to the updated laws, the Compendium includes a Quick Reference Guide to each States’s laws, definitions of key HIV testing terms, and a link to the CDC recommendations. Individual state profiles can be downloaded from an easy-to-use map on the website. The NCCC at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital is funded by HRSA/HAB in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is one of the Sources of TA featured on the TARGET Center, the central source of Ryan White TA and training.

Clinicians with questions about HIV testing procedures and test interpretation can obtain expert guidance by calling the NCCC’s HIV Telephone Consultation Service (Warmline) at 800/933-3413. The NCCC also provides advice on managing occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens on its PEPline at 888/448-4911, and advice on managing HIV in pregnant women and their infants on its Perinatal Hotline at 888/448-8765. These free consultation services are available to health care workers.

Access the Compendium at:

Quality Training of Trainers Program: May 7-9, New York
The National Quality Center (NQC), administered by the NYSDOH AIDS Institute, will be conducting its next Training-of-Trainer (TOT) Program in New York City from May 7-9. The program is designed to build capacity among Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees to conduct quality improvement trainings and enlarge the pool of QI trainers nationwide. The rigorous learning experience includes pre-work activities and a 3-day face-to-face session. The TOT Program provides information on basic concepts in quality management, adult learning theories, and how to structure and facilitate quality training opportunities. The NQC offers this Program with no registration fee but participants will have to assume the cost for travel and lodgings. Breakfast and lunch will be provided during the TOT session but participants are responsible for other travel costs.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications by March 24. If you have any questions about the TOT Program, please contact Kevin Garrett, LMSW at 212-417-4730 or via email at < kfg01@health.state.ny.us >.

OTHER NEWS

SAMHSA Funds for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment: Deadline, April 30
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2008 for Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and Treatment (SBIRT) Medical Residency Program cooperative agreements. The primary purpose of the SBIRT Medical Residency Program is to develop and implement training programs to teach medical residents skills to provide evidence-based screening, brief intervention, brief treatment and referral to specialty treatment for patients who have, or are at risk for, a substance use disorder. Another purpose of the program is to promote adoption of SBIRT through delivery of training to local and statewide medical communities for wider dissemination of SBIRT practices.

Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities. For example, State and local governments, federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, public or private universities and colleges; and community- and faith-based organizations may apply. Given the subject matter, applications are encouraged from universities/colleges affiliated with teaching hospitals that offer residency programs and teaching hospitals with graduate training programs for medical residencies.

Applications are due April 30.

More information is available:

AIDS.Gov Gets New Look
AIDS.gov has recently overhauled its website. New to the site are sections on HIV 101, Conversations with key policymakers, and Video Podcasts. AIDS.gov provides comprehensive government-wide information on HIV/AIDS for the general public, Federal agencies, state staff/public health departments, Federal grantees, medical institutions, research institutions, and HIV/AIDS-related organizations. When you check out the new site, be sure to look up the podcast by Dr. Deborah Parham Hopson, Associate Administrator of HRSA/HAB.

CDC Website on HIV and Older Americans
The number of persons aged 50 years and older living with HIV/AIDS has been increasing in recent years. This increase is partly due to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which has made it possible for many HIV-infected persons to live longer, and partly due to newly diagnosed infections in persons over the age of 50. As the US population continues to age, it is important to be aware of specific challenges faced by older Americans and to ensure that they get information and services to help protect them from infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a new webpage that addresses this issue. It includes statistics, action steps, and resources. To view the site go to:

Updated Pediatric Treatment Guidelines
A new version has been released of the “Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.” The new version includes updated information in a variety of areas. Changes are highlighted in yellow throughout the text and tables. To view the new guidelines go to:

State Profiles on HIV, Hepatitis, STDs, and TB
The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) 2007 NCHHSTP State Profiles are now available. The profiles include statistical and other information on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD and TB for all 50 states and Washington, District of Columbia, as of September 2007. They also include descriptions of prevention and control programs supported by CDC and state public health officials. To access the profiles:

In addition to the resources listed above, don’t forget to check out these other HAB resources, which are updated regularly.
HAB Web Site
TARGET Center, Central Source for Ryan White TA

The HAB Information E-mail is distributed biweekly by the HRSA/HAB Division of Training and Technical Assistance (DTTA). To subscribe or unsubscribe contact < pjones1@hrsa.gov>.